ANGRY residents of an Eastern Cape town have ordered businesses to shut and tyres to be burnt in the streets in their bid to halt elections tomorrow.
The army is expected to arrive on polling day in Sterkspruit, a hotbed of unrest in a year when ANC leaders have been chased out of town.
Yesterday’s violence saw a school – designated as a polling station – firebombed. Stores in town were shuttered and the streets largely deserted as locals heeded warnings from the Sterkspruit Civic Association (SCA) to stay away.
Local government MEC and provincial ANC election head Mlibo Qoboshiyane visited the town yesterday to try to broker peace and ensure trouble-free elections.
But angry residents made their voices heard, shouting: “Mlibo must come here and try to open the shops, he will see what will happen.”
Qoboshiyane met top police officers and Senqu municipal officials following reports of instability.
“We will not tolerate such hooliganism. It is unacceptable and whoever did that will be brought to book.
“We are aware of people who wrote letters and shouted around town saying businesses must shut down. Police are investigating and are on the trail of those people,” the MEC warned.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived yesterday, residents wearing SCA T-shirts stood in groups along the road. At the top of a hill another group were burning tyres. Just a stone’s throw from the police station SCA members stood randomly shouting Amandla at passing vehicles.
Resident Mzuvukile said the shutdown would last until after the elections. “We are united in Sterkspruit. All of us are on vacation till Thursday. On election day, we will go nowhere, we’ll sit at home and bask in the sun. On Thursday we’ll return to work.”
The town has been in turmoil since early last year, when residents started demanding a standalone municipality amid claims of maladministration at Senqu municipality.
Tensions escalated and soldiers were called in to back up police deployed from around the province.
A 16-year-old boy, Wele Mgoqi, was killed during the unrest.
SCA leader Mcebisi Mgojo said the protest was peaceful and denied involvement in the torching at Ekuzoleni Senior Primary School.
A classroom was destroyed during the early hours yesterday.
The school security guard only realised the class was on fire just after 6am. Police found burning tyres in the classroom.
Security guard Johannes Juluka said: “I was in another classroom when I saw smoke coming from the one of the classrooms where we keep furniture. I didn’t know what to do, so I phoned the principal. She is the one who phoned the police.
“It is sad that property meant for the development of our children was torched like that. Someone came here and asked me why these people didn’t burn me as well.”
Principal Ruth Gwabini said she suspected the arson had to do with tomorrow’s elections. The school is a registered voting station and IEC banners had already been put up.
“They burned a cabinet where we kept Grade R books and other learning material. I think whoever did this thought there was IEC material in there. It is sad and unfortunate that they damaged our children’s books and desks. We kept newly bought furniture in that classroom and it has been damaged.”
Provincial electoral officer Thamsanqa Mraji said no voting took place at Ekuzoleni JSS yesterday.
“The matter was reported to the SAPS,” he added.
The ANC in the province called for more soldiers and public order police to be deployed to the area.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the party alerted the security cluster after receiving reports that the leaders of the SCA had circulated a letter calling for the shutdown of the town.
“We received assurance that Pops will be hard at work from and soldiers will also be deployed there on election day.
“We do not want only ANC members and supporters to exercise their right to vote, but all citizens of this country including those living in Sterkspruit,” said Mabuyane.
SCA leader Mcebisi Mgojo said: “What we have resolved on is that we are going to abstain from the elections. Reason being that our demands for a Sterkspruit municipality and the return of the seat of the council from Lady Grey to Sterkspruit have fallen on deaf ears.”
“I must, however, stress that we are totally against violence and we believe that the people who tried to burn the school are anti-development criminals who are trying to incite violence.
“We distance ourselves from that incident. Ours is a non-violent action,” he said.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Celiwe Binta said the SAPS would not “tolerate any form of criminality, intimidation, disruptive behaviour or public violence”. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za / zineg@dispatch.co.za
EC town braces for election day revolt
The army is expected to arrive on polling day in Sterkspruit, a hotbed of unrest in a year when ANC leaders have been chased out of town.
Yesterday’s violence saw a school – designated as a polling station – firebombed. Stores in town were shuttered and the streets largely deserted as locals heeded warnings from the Sterkspruit Civic Association (SCA) to stay away.
Local government MEC and provincial ANC election head Mlibo Qoboshiyane visited the town yesterday to try to broker peace and ensure trouble-free elections.
But angry residents made their voices heard, shouting: “Mlibo must come here and try to open the shops, he will see what will happen.”
Qoboshiyane met top police officers and Senqu municipal officials following reports of instability.
“We will not tolerate such hooliganism. It is unacceptable and whoever did that will be brought to book.
“We are aware of people who wrote letters and shouted around town saying businesses must shut down. Police are investigating and are on the trail of those people,” the MEC warned.
When the Daily Dispatch arrived yesterday, residents wearing SCA T-shirts stood in groups along the road. At the top of a hill another group were burning tyres. Just a stone’s throw from the police station SCA members stood randomly shouting Amandla at passing vehicles.
Resident Mzuvukile said the shutdown would last until after the elections. “We are united in Sterkspruit. All of us are on vacation till Thursday. On election day, we will go nowhere, we’ll sit at home and bask in the sun. On Thursday we’ll return to work.”
The town has been in turmoil since early last year, when residents started demanding a standalone municipality amid claims of maladministration at Senqu municipality.
Tensions escalated and soldiers were called in to back up police deployed from around the province.
A 16-year-old boy, Wele Mgoqi, was killed during the unrest.
SCA leader Mcebisi Mgojo said the protest was peaceful and denied involvement in the torching at Ekuzoleni Senior Primary School.
A classroom was destroyed during the early hours yesterday.
The school security guard only realised the class was on fire just after 6am. Police found burning tyres in the classroom.
Security guard Johannes Juluka said: “I was in another classroom when I saw smoke coming from the one of the classrooms where we keep furniture. I didn’t know what to do, so I phoned the principal. She is the one who phoned the police.
“It is sad that property meant for the development of our children was torched like that. Someone came here and asked me why these people didn’t burn me as well.”
Principal Ruth Gwabini said she suspected the arson had to do with tomorrow’s elections. The school is a registered voting station and IEC banners had already been put up.
“They burned a cabinet where we kept Grade R books and other learning material. I think whoever did this thought there was IEC material in there. It is sad and unfortunate that they damaged our children’s books and desks. We kept newly bought furniture in that classroom and it has been damaged.”
Provincial electoral officer Thamsanqa Mraji said no voting took place at Ekuzoleni JSS yesterday.
“The matter was reported to the SAPS,” he added.
The ANC in the province called for more soldiers and public order police to be deployed to the area.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the party alerted the security cluster after receiving reports that the leaders of the SCA had circulated a letter calling for the shutdown of the town.
“We received assurance that Pops will be hard at work from and soldiers will also be deployed there on election day.
“We do not want only ANC members and supporters to exercise their right to vote, but all citizens of this country including those living in Sterkspruit,” said Mabuyane.
SCA leader Mcebisi Mgojo said: “What we have resolved on is that we are going to abstain from the elections. Reason being that our demands for a Sterkspruit municipality and the return of the seat of the council from Lady Grey to Sterkspruit have fallen on deaf ears.”
“I must, however, stress that we are totally against violence and we believe that the people who tried to burn the school are anti-development criminals who are trying to incite violence.
“We distance ourselves from that incident. Ours is a non-violent action,” he said.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Celiwe Binta said the SAPS would not “tolerate any form of criminality, intimidation, disruptive behaviour or public violence”. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za / zineg@dispatch.co.za
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